Alli (orlistat)

[snoozan]

With much fanfare this new FDA-approved OTC drug has been released and the pretty books and displays are just about everywhere. In a nutshell, it works by blocking some of the fat you eat so it passes through your body without being digested.

I've looked into it, and what they call "treatment effects" (not side effects) sound really unpleasant.

From myalli.com – home page :

You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.

There's also something on there about "fecal seepage." Fecal seepage?!?! The idea of messing my pants like a toddler really turns me off-- but then again I have diet controlled IBS, so I know how painful, uncomfortable, and at times embarrassing a malfunctioning bowel can be.

Anyway, is anyone out there trying this, and does anyone else find these treatment effects to be enough to keep you from trying it even if you do want to lose that extra 10-15-20-30-50 pounds?

I also find the marketing of it to be interesting-- it's not being marketed as a miracle pill, but instead comes with many warnings and caveats about how the treatment will and won't work. I wonder if those are FDA mandated or from a legal standpoint or what.

 

[crowdpleaser]

I work at a store that sells the drug, when we first got some in we only got 3. A customer bought all 3 that day, so people seem unphased about the side effects.

Oh yeah, you forgot one. If you take the drug, when you pass gas it may be accompanied by an oily discharge that is orane. How fun.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

Well, yeah. Your body can only process so much protein each day anyway. The rest gets discharged out. Taking a medication to up this effect is going to have some unpleasant outcomes. They shouldn't be called adverse side effects. Just hearing what the medication does could tell anyone the outcome, without explaining the whole orange seepage thing.

Seriously, it sounds like a complete waste of food. You fucking fatasses. Just eat less. Americans need to learn to let their stomachs growl sometimes. It hurts and it's unpleasant, but it's good for you sometimes. Just deal with it.

 

[Ethyl]

Well, yeah. Your body can only process so much protein each day anyway. The rest gets discharged out. Taking a medication to up this effect is going to have some unpleasant outcomes. They shouldn't be called adverse side effects. Just hearing what the medication does could tell anyone the outcome, without explaining the whole orange seepage thing.

Seriously, it sounds like a complete waste of food. You fucking fatasses. Just eat less. Americans need to learn to let their stomachs growl sometimes. It hurts and it's unpleasant, but it's good for you sometimes. Just deal with it.

OK.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

OK.

Thanks for contributing.

 

[Ethyl]

With much fanfare this new FDA-approved OTC drug has been released and the pretty books and displays are just about everywhere. In a nutshell, it works by blocking some of the fat you eat so it passes through your body without being digested.

I've looked into it, and what they call "treatment effects" (not side effects) sound really unpleasant.

From myalli.com – home page :

You may feel an urgent need to go to the bathroom. Until you have a sense of any treatment effects, it's probably a smart idea to wear dark pants, and bring a change of clothes with you to work.

There's also something on there about "fecal seepage." Fecal seepage?!?! The idea of messing my pants like a toddler really turns me off-- but then again I have diet controlled IBS, so I know how painful, uncomfortable, and at times embarrassing a malfunctioning bowel can be.

Anyway, is anyone out there trying this, and does anyone else find these treatment effects to be enough to keep you from trying it even if you do want to lose that extra 10-15-20-30-50 pounds?

I also find the marketing of it to be interesting-- it's not being marketed as a miracle pill, but instead comes with many warnings and caveats about how the treatment will and won't work. I wonder if those are FDA mandated or from a legal standpoint or what.

Honestly, this sounds just like Olestra, the fake fat they used in certain food products for a while. The body doesn't digest it and too much of it was known to cause massive diarrhea. I never ate anything with Olestra because, well, it's not a food and ingesting something that your body can't metabolize can't be good for you. I kinda feel the same way about this stuff since it works similarly but maybe I should read more about it.

 

[Ethyl]

Thanks for contributing.

See above.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

See above.

 

[snoozan]

Well, yeah. Your body can only process so much protein each day anyway. The rest gets discharged out.

You mean fat, right? And no, it doesn't really get discharged if you're only eating the 15g a day that this diet recommends. I don't know how high your fat consumption has to be so that excess is discharged.

Seriously, it sounds like a complete waste of food. You fucking fatasses. Just eat less. Americans need to learn to let their stomachs growl sometimes. It hurts and it's unpleasant, but it's good for you sometimes. Just deal with it.

You have just won the award for the most uppity, nasty cunt I have ever met. I have a ribbon for you right here wedged in the roll of fat between my gut and my pussy. Wanna come get it?

Seriously, you sound like a complete waste of flesh. It floors me every time that such an insensitive, cruel, and pretentious personality is in the body of such a pretty young woman.

Just kidding honey. I love you. You're hawt. Love yer gallery

 

[Heather LouAnna]

I don't like whining.

I also don't like the word uppity.

I do, however, love awards.

I've been around many an individual who severely needed medication, but mostly people are looking for easy ways to everything. The easiest way is to anything is make up your mind and do it.

 

[snoozan]

I don't like whining.

I also don't like the word uppity.

I do, however, love awards.

I've been around many an individual who severely needed medication, but mostly people are looking for easy ways to everything. The easiest way is to anything is make up your mind and do it.

Having just lost over 50 pounds (and still going), I fully appreciate how hard it is to get yourself to the place psychologically where you can actually make up your mind to lose a significant amount of weight. I also know how hard it is to stick to it for the months it takes to make what feels like only a small improvement. Also, since I spent a fair proportion of my adult life rather slim, I also know that it's a lot easier to maintain weight than to lose it-- especially when you're in your early 20s and your metabolism is working for you rather than against.

If, through your life, you never gain weight from being pregnant, stress, medication, not having time and/or money to eat well, you are truly blessed. You will never know how hard it is to be fat in a in a society that is irrationally afriad of it. Think about that the next time you feel the need to lambaste people for not being thin.

 

[Heather LouAnna]

Having just lost over 50 pounds (and still going), I fully appreciate how hard it is to get yourself to the place psychologically where you can actually make up your mind to lose a significant amount of weight.

Congratulations. :biggrin1:

 

[HazelGod]

I gotta side with the uppity, nasty cunt on this one. Gee, folks...here's a pill we can sell you (read: you have to pay for it) that will prevent your body from absorbing a portion of the fat you ingest (which you already paid for). Interested?

Only in America would something this patently absurd be (a) marketable, or (b) newsworthy.

It's called portion control, people. Look into it.


I'm going to preempt any commentary regarding those with glandular/metabolic disorders by explicity pointing out what should be obvious: this is being marketed as an over-the-counter (i.e., non-prescription) medication.